Timing mechanism.



H. C. NICHOLAUS.

TIMING MEGHANISM.

PP 1,107,176 A LIOATION FILED SEPT 7 1912 Patented 11 3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

I, y mi Il H. G. NIGHOLAUS.

TIMING ,MEGHANISM APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 7, 1912.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914,

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

H. C. NICH'OLAUS.

TIMING MBGHANISM. APPLIGATION H1111) SEPT. 7, 1912.

l 107, 1 76. Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

UNITED sTATEs PATENT' oEEToE.

HERMAN C. NICHOLAUS, F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TO FRANK. H. RATEICK AND ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM J. LOOMAN, BOTH 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

TIMING MECHANISM.

specicatioli of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 11, 1914.

Application led September 7, 1912. Serial No. 719,173.

T0 a-ZZ Lc/10m. t may concern Be it known that I, HERMAN C. NICHO- LAUS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Detroit, in the county of .lVayne and State of Michigan, havev invented certain new and useful lmprovements in Timing Mechanism, of which they following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to a timing mechanism for an electric switch whereby the latter may be thrown in at any desired time, held closed for a desired period and then automatically opened again.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter set forth, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, partially broken away, of mechanism that embodies features of the invention showing the device set ready for throwing a switch shut. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the position of the mechanism with the switch closed; Fig. 3 is a similar view of the mechanism showing the parts as the)v are returning to initial position; and Fig. #l is a view :in detail in section showing the disposition of index and dial plates.

In general terms the mechanism includes a master clock mechanism which may be set to run for any desired length of time and which may be of any desired type. a

cam operating mechanism controlled by the,

time or clock movement and a switch having throw-in and cut-out members controlled by the cam operating mechanism.

As herein shown in preferred form a base 1 supports a clock mechanism indicated at 2 of any preferred type with the hour hand arbor 3 carrying a dial 4 which rotates a detent plate 5 with a notch indicated at (i in 'its periphery. A friction plate 7 has a sleeve S by which it is concentrically journaled on the barrel of the plate 1 with a plurality of spring fingers!) engaging a time plate that is divide`d into hour spaces similar to a clock face. A thumb latch 11 enables the plates 4 and 10 to be set in any desired relation as the latter has notches en- A pointer 12 on they gaged by the latch. base forms the zero or starting point.

A rotatable cam 13 is driven by means of a pinion 14 in mesh with a gear 15 that is turned by a` clock train movement or other spring actuated mechanism that is controlled or steadied h v a fly 1G or the like. A detent lever 17 is pivoted in such manner that its upper end portion lies in the path of and arrests the fly when its lower arm 18 is thrown back by a lug 19 on a lever 20. An extremity Q1 of the latter rides on the plate 8 that moves with a dial 10 and when such extremity drops into ay notch 22 in the plate 8 it causes the member 17 to momentarily clear the fly 16 and allow the cam 13 to rotate. This movement continuesaintil an arresting member 21 has heenythrown by a pin 43 on the cam against the heel 2G of the lever 20 so that the finger 19 is retracted as the latte-r is lifted from the notch 22. This results in the return by a suitably disposed spring 27 of the lever 17 to arrest the tiy 16 as indicated in Fig. 2.

A lever 28 oppositely disposed to the member has an inturned extremity 29 that rides on the plate 5 moving with the dial 4 so that when it drops into the notch 6 as the latter moves forward under the influence of the time mechanism. its upper end portion 30, that hooks over the lever 17 retractsthe latter and releases the tly 16 again as indicated in Fig. -l. This permits the cam 13 to make another revolution and in so doing an intermediate finger 31 on the lever 24 bears against the projection 32 on the lever QS and thereby moves the upper portion forward so that the lever 17 is again returned by the spring' 27 to intercept and hold the fly 1G. l

The first movement of the cam l?) from the initial position shown in Fig. 1 presses out a master lever 2li-l having. spring counection with a depending arm 34 ot' a switch lever 35 by means of a coil 36. At the same time a pin -13 pushes against an arm -17 of a latch bar 37 so that the latter is shifted sufficiently'to disengage itself from a stop 3S on the lever 35 Aand allow the latter to drop into the hooked -end 39 of the latch. As a consequence the spring 36 moves the lever 35 into the position indicated in Fig. 2 against the intiuence of a weaker spring 40 and thereby depresses andcloses a switch arm 41 to which it is coupled by a link 4Q. At this moment the fly 16 is arrested and the parts remain in the position shown in Fig. Q until the timing mechanism through the lever 28 again releases the tly and permits the further rotation of the cam. As

ythat iis-controlled by this mechanism and which itself may be of any preferred type and form oflconstruction, a damper o r any regulating means may be opened or closed at the will of the person setting the mechanism at any hour and held in that condition for a desired length of time. This makes the device of a special value for controllingswitches to illuminating signs, show w1ndows or other like places.

Obviously, changes in lthe details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention and I do not care to limit myself to any partlcular form or arrangement ofpaits.

What I claim iszl. A timing mechanism comprising a master clock train having adetent lplate and a dial plate in adjustable angular relation driven by the hour arbor of the train, switch throwing means, a clock trainfor operatlng the switch throwing means, and means operated alternately by the detent and dial plates for momentarily releasing the operating train.

' 2. A timing mechanism comprising a master clock train, a detent plate and a dial plate angularly adjustable on the hour arbor of a tram, switch'throwing means, a clock train for operating the switch throwing means, and a member adapted to engage and arrest the clock train and moved alternately by the detent and dial plate out of engagement with the train.

3. A timing mechanism comprising a mas- A ter clock train, a detent plate and a dial plate angularly adjustable on the hour arbor ot' the train, oscillatory means for opening and closing a switch, a clock train adapted to oscillate the opening and closing means, and means normally engaging and arresting the train that is operated alternately by the detent and dial plate to momentarily release the operating train.

4. A timing mechanism comprising a master clock train, a detent plate secured on the hour arbor thereof, a dial plate secured, on the arbor in adjustably angular relation with the detent plate, oscillatory means adapted to alternately close and open a,

switch, means ffor oscillating the 0 and closlng mechanism, a clock tra1n erating such means,

ening or opand means adapted to normally engage and hold the train inactive and .operated alternately by the detent and dial plates to Vmomentarily release the' driving operating train.

5. A timing mechanism comprising a master clock train havin a detent .plate and a dial plate mounted- 1n adjustable angular relation on the hour 'arbor ofthe train, means for alternately closing and. opening a switch, a clock train for operating the opening and closing means, and means for normally holding the driving train inert adapted to momentarily released alternately from engagement therewith by the detent and dial plates.

6. A timin mechanism Vcomprising a master clock train having an hour arbor, a detent plate on th e arbor, a dial plate in frictional angularly adjustable engagement with the arbor and detent plate, oscillatory means for alternately closing and opening a switch, a clock train for oscillating the closing and opening means, and means normally holding the operating train inert, adapted to be momentarily released from the operating train by the detent late for closing the switch and momentarily released from the operating train by the dial plate to open the switch.

7 A timing mechanism comprising a master clock train having an hour arbor, a detion to open a switch, means for setting and momentarily releasing such switch operating means alternately in both positions, a clock train for operating such setting mechanism and detents for the operating clock train controlled by the detent and dial plates and alternately disengaged from the train thereby.

8. A timing mechanism comprising a master clock train having an hour arbor, a detent plate mounted on the arbor, a dial plate mounted thereon in adjustably angular relation to the detent plate, means adapted when set in one position to close the switch and when set in another position to open the switch, a cam adapted to set throwing mechanism alternately in its several ,positions and to release said mechanism momentarily when operated, a clock. train for operating the cam, anddetent mechanism for the operating train adapted to be alternately released by the detent and dial -Eplatesand reset by the cam. .I

In testimon whereof I ailix my signature in presence o two witnesses.

HERMAN C. NIGHOLAUS.

Witnesses:

LEWIS E. FLANDERS, ANNA M. Donn.

the switch 

